Making Big Brothers and Sisters

Did you ever wish you had a big brother or sister? Someone to talk to when your parents were giving you trouble, to play ball with after school or just someone older to look up to?

For more info about Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteering opportunities, visit the Web site at www.bbs.org.

In 2006, Big Brothers Big Sisters in King, Pierce & Jefferson Counties served 1,935 children and are on track to serve 2,231 in 2007.

According to national research,

Little Brothers and Sisters are:

[HTML_REMOVED] More confident in their schoolwork and performance

[HTML_REMOVED] Get along better with their families

[HTML_REMOVED] 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

[HTML_REMOVED] 27% less likely to begin using alcohol

[HTML_REMOVED] 52% less likely to skip school

For more than 1,900 kids in King, Pierce and Jefferson counties around Seattle, this wish can come true with some help from the organization Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and volunteers from all parts of the community, including 57 from the UW.

"It's the nation's largest mentoring organization," said Pamela Shields, director of management and communications at BBBS of King and Pierce counties.

It is also the nation's oldest mentoring organization, and was founded in 1904 in New York. BBBS operates in 50 states and 35 countries worldwide.

Started in 1957, BBBS in King, Pierce and Jefferson counties celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, although it was only a Big Brothers group back then. Puget Sound Big Sisters was founded in 1973, and the two agencies joined in 1999. Today, it is one of the largest affiliates nationwide.

BBBS works through one-to-one mentoring, pairing one child with one volunteer into a "match" that spends time together a couple of times a month. This type of personal relationship has a positive impact on both the children and the volunteers, or the "Littles" and "Bigs," as they are called in the program.

The children come from many different parts of society and have different economic, ethnic and social backgrounds.

"It's pretty much anybody who needs an extra adult," Shields said. "If somebody wants a mentor, we sign them up."

Children from single households are a majority in the program though, especially children with single moms.

"Many times, single moms want male role models," Shields said.

There is a shortage of male volunteers, and about 500 boys are on the waiting list to become Little Brothers. For the Big Sisters, it's the opposite problem. The matches are mostly either male or female but sometimes due to the lack of male volunteers, Big Sisters have Little Brothers.

Shields, who has a master's degree in international studies from the UW, has been working for BBBS for a little more than a year. Before that, she worked for five years at an architecture firm, but was looking for something else.

"I really wanted to do something in social services," she said.

Her job involves helping recruit volunteers and support campaign work. The organization tries to be visible through poster campaigns, ads and visits to university and college campuses and companies.

There are two programs at BBBS, the school-based and the community-based. In the school-based program, the volunteers visit their Little's school once a week. They have to stay on the school premises, but other than that the choice of activity is free. It can involve helping out with homework or going to the gym or just kicking a ball in the schoolyard.

"It's always been fun for me," it's like going back to elementary school," said senior A.J. Ryan, 22, a school-based Big Brother to 8-year-old Salvador.

Ryan is a senior in physiology and biology and plans to attend medical school. He has been a Big Brother for a little more than a year and describes his time with Salvador as a tradeoff, a rewarding experience for both of them.

Before joining BBBS, Ryan worked as a volunteer at the University of Washington Medical Center for two years. It was mostly front-desk work and deliveries.

"I didn't feel any kind of satisfaction with it anymore," he said. "I wanted more out of my own volunteering and I also wanted to help someone."

Stacy Betz is an assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and a Big Sister in the community-based program.

Community-based Bigs commit to spending time with their Littles two to four times a month, but the choice of activity is open as long as the parents approve. It can be anything from going to the museum to simply sharing a pizza.

Betz has been a volunteer for about a month, but has already seen her Little Sister, 9-year-old Imeshawnia, four times. She thinks it is especially important to meet often in the beginning when the Big and Little are getting to know each other.

While the meetings in the school-based program remain at the school, community-based volunteers sometimes get a bit more involved in their Little's life. Ryan has never met Salvador's family, while Betz has already met Imeshawnia's family several times.

She usually spends five minutes or so with them when picking up her Little. Betz said she likes to "touch base" with them so that they are comfortable with her spending time with Imeshawnia.

Yet the important thing is the relationship with the child.

"She has called me a couple of times to make sure that we're meeting. She is learning how to e-mail, too," said Betz, who thinks this is an important part of the relationship. They usually plan their activities together in advance.

"They learn how to interact with adults that are not in their family," she said.

To ensure child safety and good matching, the organization carefully controls the volunteering process. After applying and providing three references, everyone has to come to an interview and go through a background check. Matches are made with consideration for such things as geographic location, interests, activities and personalities.

The matching process was very quick in Ryan's case, partly because of the need for male volunteers.

"I was contacted back the next day and within a week I had an interview," he said. "I was paired within the next day or two."

As a volunteer in the community-based program, Betz's matching took more time, about two months. It is a good match though, she said.

"We both enjoy the same types of activities," she said. "We like going places where we can talk and we like being outside."

They have been to the beach, to the movies and to the park, where they spent six hours just playing and hanging out.

"It can be very low cost," she said.

In fact, BBBS encourages volunteers not to spend too much money; the goal of the mentorship is to build friendship and get to know each other. It also sometimes offers events for the matches, such as free tickets to a Mariners game or a cultural activity.

The organization offers internal events such as a summer picnic and a volunteer appreciation dinner.

"I never attended though. ... I don't need anyone to say 'thank you,'" Ryan said, but, of course, he likes to feel appreciated. "It is nice to hear from his teacher that I've made an impact on [Salvador's] life."

The BBBS staff also provides support and help throughout the program. They check in regularly with volunteers, children and parents, especially during the first year.

"They really seem to have good resources and keep in touch every month," said Betz.

When they were first matched up, she and her Little Sister also attended a training session with other Bigs and Littles.

The children enrolled in the program are between 7 and 16 years old when matched. The upper age limit to be a Little is 18. After that, they graduate from BBBS.

According to the national research that BBBS refers to on its Web site, the children who participate in the programs are less likely to start using drugs and alcohol or to skip school, where they also perform better. In addition, they are more confident about themselves and get along better with their families.

Yet the program has big benefits for the volunteers as well as the children. A usual comment by volunteers is that they had no idea how fun it would be, Shields said. Moreover, it does not take as much time as many think.

"All our volunteers say it's nothing," Shields said.

It is required to volunteer for at least a year, but most matches last longer. The average is 32 months.

"We had one match just graduated that was together for 11 years, and four that were together for 10," said Shields.

Both Ryan and Betz think that they will continue volunteering.

"It's a great way to be a volunteer if you're looking for something where you can make a difference in one child's life," said Betz.

Ryan agrees.

"It's fun, I love it," he said. "It's been a rewarding experience."

Reach reporter Clara Good at features@thedaily.washington.edu.